Shutdowns, App Bans Show Crisis of Internet Governance, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Protests related to the NEET exam crisis exposed significant internet governance issues in India.
• Government responses included restricting internet access, banning messaging apps like Telegram, and surveillance.
• A court upheld Telegram's temporary ban, interpreting "information" under the IT Act to encompass entire platforms.
• Mobile internet services were suspended in protest areas, and GitHub was ordered to remove BitChat's source code.
• Protesters were subjected to surveillance using AI-powered Facial Recognition Technology (FRT).
• The Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act is not fully in force, leaving privacy rights vulnerable.

Detailed Insights:

• The court's decision on Telegram's ban, based on its temporary nature, risks normalizing platform blocking without adequate user impact assessment.
• The ineffectiveness of internet bans was evident as users quickly resorted to VPNs and alternative communication applications.
• Such actions internationally risk portraying India as unpredictable, potentially hindering innovation and ease of doing business.
• Targeting BitChat's open-source code contradicts India's strategic promotion of open source in its AI approach.
• FRT use lacks clear governing rules and privacy impact assessments, with an 80% match considered positive despite known inaccuracies.
• Threats to Meta regarding safe harbour provisions highlight the need for platform accountability beyond these existing protections.
• The article advocates for an overhaul of the IT Act, an end to internet shutdowns, and meaningful enforcement of the DPDP Act.

Key Concepts Involved:

• IT Act (Information Technology Act, 2000): Indian law governing cybercrime and electronic commerce.
• Anuradha Bhasin case: Supreme Court ruling on internet shutdowns, emphasizing proportionality and temporary nature.
• Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023: Indian law aimed at protecting personal data and privacy.
• Safe Harbour: Legal provisions shielding online platforms from liability for user-generated content.
• Facial Recognition Technology (FRT): Biometric technology identifying individuals from digital images or video.